Vehicles in general, and trucks in particular, are always in need of improved fuel efficiency. Such improved fuel efficiency may be achieved by making the vehicles out of more lightweight components. However, the strength and structural integrity of the components must be maintained as their weight is reduced. Additionally, reduced weight is desirable in components that must be raised to service the vehicle, or to access other interior portions of the vehicle, for example the vehicle's hood.
Many presently available truck hoods are made from either sheet metal or polymer fiber composites. Hoods made from sheet metal typically include several components added to the hood panel itself to provide structural support and durability. These components increase the weight and cost of manufacture of the hood.
Fiberglass reinforced plastic (composite) hoods require slow, labor intensive manufacturing processes. More specifically, manufacturing of fiberglass reinforced plastic hoods typically includes the steps of providing a wooden mold, spraying a fiberglass media into the mold, and then applying a polymer resin. Each of these steps are manual labor intensive steps resulting in high production time for a singular hood. Such composite hoods must often be thicker, typically on the order of 6.0 mm or greater, to provide the required strength.
To provide the required strengths in fiberglass reinforced plastic (composite) hoods, the steps of spraying the fiberglass media and applying the polymer resin are repeated, which in turn results in increased weight. Additionally, components such as truck hoods are produced in relatively small volumes, and in several configurations. The low production volume limits the number of manufacturing and assembly processes that are economically viable.
FIGS. 1-5 illustrate a typical reinforcement structure presently used with fiberglass reinforced plastic truck hoods. The reinforcement structure 10 is formed of fiberglass reinforced plastic and includes a front reinforcement 12 having a generally rectangular configuration, defined by the top 14, bottom 16, and sides 18, 20. The right side 18 and left side 20 each define a headlight reinforcement portion 22, 24, respectively, extending outward therefrom. The remainder of the headlight reinforcement is a separate piece, with the left side headlight reinforcement 26 illustrated in FIG. 3, and the right side headlight reinforcement being a mirror image of the left side reinforcement 26.
A right side reinforcement 28 and left side reinforcement 30 extend rearward from the front reinforcement 12. The right side reinforcement 28 is a mirror image of the left side reinforcement 30. Each of the left side reinforcement 30 and right side reinforcement 28 includes a rearwardly extending portion 32, corresponding to the lower side edges of the hood, a vertical portion 34 extending upward from the back end of the rearwardly extending portion 32, and a top portion 36 extending horizontally from the vertical portion 34, and corresponding to the top rear edge of the hood. Presently available hoods may also include a plenum 38, for reinforcing an air intake located on the top of the hood, and leading to the engine, as depicted in FIG. 5.
Such presently available fiberglass reinforced plastic truck hoods therefore require a large number of reinforcements to properly strengthen the hood, thereby increasing weight, cost, and the time required to manufacture the hood.
In light of the above, there is a need for a truck hood or other vehicle component having lighter weight than presently available components, while maintaining sufficient strength. There is a further need for a truck hood or other vehicle components that may be manufactured by relatively inexpensive manufacturing methods. Such a vehicle component will not only be more cost effective to manufacture, but will decrease the costs associated with operating the vehicle upon which it is installed.